Lamore celebrates 90th birthday

Donald H. Lamore turns 90.

Donald Hart Lamore celebrates his ninetieth birthday. Born in Washington DC on October 15 1918 to Addie Allen Turnball, Canadian of Scottish and Irish origin and to Burton Hart Lamore, founder of the Federal Society of Translators to the League of Nations who was fluent in seven languages and translator of seventeen. Donald Lamore participated in World War II from 1942 through 1945; he was in the US Army 9th Infantry Division, Headquarters to the 7th Corps. He participated in operations in North Africa, Sicily and landed in Normandy at Utah beach. Having studied French in high school before the war, he was eager to liberate Paris but the American forces moved on to the battle of the Bulge leaving the liberation of the capitol to the French troops. Upon returning to the United States he studied at the University of Maryland from 1945 to 1948 where he obtained his BA degree in the First Honours Group, Phi theta Kappa National Honours Society. He was finally able to return to France, especially to at last see Paris and to study at the famous Sorbonne University where he met his future wife, Marie Berthe Leportois who was at that time the assistant professor in the Department of Zoology and a specialist in insect biometry. She joined him at Cornell University in Ithaca New York where Donald Lamore continued his studies and they were married there on August 5th, 1950. They then moved to Washington DC where their twin sons, Jean and Francois Lamore were born in 1952. Donald Lamore taught biology and French at Bethesda Chevy Chase Senior High School until 1958 when the Lamore family moved to Nevada Missouri, where Doctor Dowe, President of Cottey College invited Donald Lamore to teach biology, zoology and botany. In 1959, Donald and Marie Lamore began both teaching French at Cottey College where they jointly developed the language laboratory. In 1968, Donald Lamore received his Doctorate Degree in linguistics for his thesis on the literary images in the writings of the famous French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. Ever since then, Doctor Lamore's remarkable study has been abundantly cited by scholars from Russia to France. In 1977 Marie Lamore also received her doctorate degree attributed by the College of Letters and Human Sciences at the University of Aix-en-Provence, France for her thesis "Lecture et Signification" on translation and linguistics. During the seventies Donald Lamore was the Chairman of the Faculty Council for Cottey College. In 1977 Donald and Marie Lamore were responsible for initiating together the prestigious exchange program between Cottey College and the famous Maison d'Education de la Legion d'Honneur, (an elite school founded by Napoleon). This remarkable international exchange program continues today, bringing from two to three French honours' students to study at Cottey College every academic year. From 1981 to 1982 Donald and Marie Lamore extensively travelled the four-state area to develop a program to reward regional high school students for their achievements in French classes. During this period Doctor Lamore also organized a language seminar with the Institute for American Universities at Aix-en-Provence, France. Donald and Marie were both members of the Association for Disabled Veterans, State of Missouri executive committee, the American association of University Professors and the Foreign Language Association of Missouri. The Lamores both retired from Cottey College in 1982 with the distinction of Professor Emeritus. During the eighties and nineties, while maintaining relations with the Cottey community, they frequently visited with their sons and their families established in France, where François Lamore pursues today an international career in painting and writing poetry. Francois was recently awarded the prestigious "Medal of Bravery and Honour" by the City of Paris and the First Paris Police Precinct for having saved two policemen from drowning in the Seine River in Paris as they attempted to retrieve a suicide candidate from murky waters. His brother Jean Lamore is a sculptor with several public monuments to his credit in France; he is the author of non-fiction books and novels published in Ireland, France and Italy as well as consultant and independent specialist for sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb and the Middle East and an expert in Western Sahara affairs. He frequently contributes articles to international newspapers and magazines. Regularly invited to lecture in European universities, he is often the guest of international television for interviews and debates. He is also the author of a documentary film, "Building Oblivion" on Western Sahara aired on BBC TV in London and presented to the French Parliament last year. Since Mrs. Marie Lamore passed away in December of 2007 both sons return to Nevada more regularly to visit with their father. They wish to emphasize that they know of no finer a community and are thankful for the care and loving attention that their father receives at home in Nevada. Though he rarely leaves his home anymore except for medical visits, Donald remains alert and quick of wit, generally more concerned with the wellbeing and health of his visitors and their families than with his own condition. His remarkable memory and his ability to imitate the calls of Vernon county birds and those from far beyond, continue to impress those who know Doctor Donald Lamore.